• Username: LadyBurdett
  • Location: Chico, CA, USA
  • Member Since: 8/25/2006
  • BMI: 51.4
  • Post Op
  • Surgery Type: RNY (12/07/06)
  • Surgeon: William Fuller
Photos

Before & After

There are currently no before and after photos for this member.

See these instructions if you wish to submit your own Before & After photos.
Surgeon Testimonial

William Fuller
William Fuller M. D. was my surgeon for WLS. rn I found him to be very warm and professional with a great sense of humor. He took time to listen to my concerns and answer my questions. He had a great bedside manner as did his colleague, Dr. Ali. My experiences with the clinic staff, (the Nurse Coordinator, Nurse Practioner, & Dietitians) have all been positive.
Latest Surgery Support Comments

  • Comment by Judy M. on 12/5/06 4:55 pm
    Deanna, you will be in my thoughts and prayers on thursday for an uneventful surgery and speedy recovery. Hugs and love coming your way. Judy M
  • Comment by boomerkaren on 12/4/06 6:55 pm
    Hi Deanna, Read your post on Off.. I has surgery one week ago and am doing wonderful. The week before I calmed down, got excited and was even feeling happy. I still feel this way. On surgery day all went well, great hospital and great surgeon and my family was with me which was a comfort. I had lots of ups, downs, second thoughts in the seven months of doing the pre op diet but kept coming bak to the realization that this was the only answer for me to live my life in a healthy manner. You will be so pleased and hope you find yourself excited too. Have someone post on OFF so we will know how you did. Karen M
  • Comment by judyanne on 12/3/06 8:37 am
    Deanna~ Just remember you are on the journey of a lifetime. Try to enjoy every minute. It may sound weird now, but know that you are cared for and prayed for here, and all too soon this will be but a memory and you will be an inspiration to someone else. I am waiting for you on the losers' bench!
Click here for the surgery support page

I am a 54 years old female who lives in Northern California . I am morbidly obese and immediately prior to seeking WLS had a current weight of 348 lbs.(BMI = 51.4). I know that my health has and continues to deteriorate because of my obesity. My doctor, and I have had numerous discussions over the years about my need to lose weight. I have been unsuccessful in my attempts with traditional weight loss methods to lose substantial amounts of weight and maintain my losses. I have been morbidly obese for at least 30 years. My weight has ranged from a high of 383lbs.(Feb. 06) to a low of 291lbs. (in 1998).I was around 325lbs when each of my children were born (1981 and 1990).

 

 

 

 

LadyBurdett's Blog
LadyBurdett's Blog


June 27, 2007 6 + Months since WLS
on June 27, 2007 9:54 am
I am now 6 and 3/4 months post surgery. I am down to 264lbs. The past few weeks the scale has bounced back and forth between 264 and 262. It is frustrating but I also know that my body is taking it's own sweet time for a reason. I do really well eating correctly during the day but at night I am having challenges as the carbs keep calling my name. I take all my vitamins, drink at least 64 oz of water/day and protein is no problem. I really enjoy the protein shakes from Trader Joe's..35 grams /can. I started at a 4-5x and am now wearing most 2x's comfortably. I do not feel like the "fat is melting off me" and when people compliment  me and call me "skinny" I am amazed because I still feel very fat. I am much more mobile and I do have more energy  but when I look at my body, especially without clothes, I know I have a long weight to go. The other day my husband told me I was looking good and didn't really need to lose much more.... I said , Are you kidding ? I have another 100 lbs to go!!!  Today is our 32 wedding anniversary!
Be the first to leave a comment.

Almost 4 months post op....
on April 1, 2007 10:45 pm
As of today I have lost 63 lbs since surgery. I am much more mobile and have lots of energy. Learning new eating habits is a challenge for me. Most days I do fine but every once in a while I will eat something that does not agree with my new tummy and will end up vomiting. I need to figure out if I have eaten too fast, eaten too much, or it is a bad combination of foods. My tummy does not seem to appreciate meat followed by dairy.....It is all trial and error. I keep my daily protein and water goals in mind and have been doing very well.  Vitamins are not a problem. Eating too many carbs is a concern. As a former Atkins fan, I can not imagine losing weight with carbs...am trying to find a good balance. I do not dump so I need to be very disciplined and try to stick with my plan. My biggest challenge is in the evening when frozen yorgurt call my name!
Be the first to leave a comment.

A Synopsis of the Journey to WLS
After reading many of the struggles others have had in obtaining insurance approval for surgery, I feel truly blessed. My primary care physician called in a referral for WLS in Aug. 06.  I had my first appointment at UCDavis GI Surgical Clinic the following month. During the the next several months I made multiple trips to sacramento to attended meetings and classes. During this time I also completed the medical exams that it  had been decided I needed.(These included blood work, psych exam, colonoscopy, endoscopy,  arterial blood gas, EKG, Chest x-ray). I also had a sleep study and cardiac stress test done in June 06, so these did not need to be repeated. During this time I was asked to lose weight and also to keep a written food and activity (exercise) diary. These were to be faxed in weekly to the Nurse Coordinator. Doing this was a hassel but it did help me to realize the nutritional value of the foods I was consuming. I found out I drank way too little water and other fluids. I was also amazed at my high calorie counts. It was good practice to count protein grams. After I passed my nutrition test and had a "one on one" visit with the NUT, I was given a date for my surgery. The insurance was then contacted by the clinic and approval was obtained very shortly afterwards.



Archive

Tags
  • None
My Story

A have been overweight my entire life. As the oldest of 5 children, while my brothers and sisters grew tall and thin, I grew out instead.I have tried many weight-loss plans/diets. These include The Atkins Diet (off and on for over 20 years; I loose 30-40 pounds and then regain even more) Weight Watchers (on 3 different occasions I have lost weight with this program but slowly regained it when I returned to old eating habits), I purchased packaged meals from Jenny Craig for awhile and have even tried the Cabbage Soup Diet.I am an educated person who understands the concept of metabolic rates, food intake (calories and carbohydrates) and the importance of exercise. At my current weight I have limited energy and sometimes feel that just making it through the day is a big challenge. At this point in my life, (while looking better as a “normal” sized person would be a plus), my true motivation in pursuing weight loss surgery is to improve my health and my quality of life.I am familiar with all the tricks and techniques to motivate one to lose weight. I am also knowledgeable about concepts related to emotional eating. I really think weight loss surgery would work for me as I know it is a tool to get the weight off and most importantly to maintain a weight loss. I know I can be compliant with the lifestyle changes required with weight loss surgery. I am very compliant regarding avoiding certain behaviors that would cause me immediate grief. For example I avoid foods or substances that trigger migraine headaches. As a result I have not consumed alcohol or chocolate since I was 27 years old. As a Registered Nurse, I am well aware of the implications of my morbid obesity on my health. I currently suffer from common co-morbidities associated with my disease including Type II Diabetes, Hypertension, Hyperlipidemia, and Sleep Apnea. (I also get migraine headaches and have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia). While I am taking medications and using a CPAP machine while I sleep every night to attempt to control the damage these do to my body, I realize that I have a high probability of developing devastating complications of these diseases including heart attack, stroke, kidney failure, blindness, and amputation. I further realize that I am a prime candidate for developing osteoarthritis in my knees and hips due to the excessive amount of weight I carry. My endurance is very poor and even walking for any extended length of time (like 5 minutes)is difficult for me. I am easily winded when I need to climb a flight of stairs. In spite of my medical conditions I lead a very busy life with multiple roles: I am a wife, mother, daughter, and friend. I care for a home (believe me it is hard to do housework at 348 lbs). I am employed full time as a Nursing Professor and also work part time as a Home Health Nurse. I am the editor of a professional nursing journal and active in my professional association. I am a very functional person in all areas of my life except for my ability to control my weight. This is a source of embarrassment to me as a health professional. I am a very poor “role model” for both my students and my patients (and my family) when it comes to taking care of my own body. (I feel rather like the cardiologist who is smoking as he instructs his own patient to quit).The bottom line for me is, I am tired of being a fat person, it is very hard. Not only do I deal daily with health problems, but basic personal hygiene is a challenge, I get skin irritations in my “fat folds”, some days my arms seem barely long enough to “wipe my butt.” Clipping my own toenails is an enormous challenge. The world was not designed for fat people; I need a seatbelt extender on airplanes, I do not fit into most restaurant booths and squeezing into a seat at a theater designed for a “normal sized bucket” is pure misery! I eyeball chairs before I sit on them to determine if they will hold my weight (I have broke a few!)I would like to get healthy and be better able to enjoy my family. I also truly fear becoming a burden to them. They do not deserve that! I have researched bariatric surgery in depth and I am well informed. I know there are risks associated with gastric bypass surgery, just as there are risks associated with any surgery. I realize that a lifestyle change and exercise are major components of bariatric surgery and I have already started making those changes. I have lost 35 lbs in the past 6 months while attempting to follow a low carbohydrate diet. While it is progress, it would have been more if I had not taken a 3 week family vacation during which time I resumed my previous eating habits and regained most of my recently lost weight. Had I gone on vacation after weight loss surgery, I would have been forced to maintain my healthy way of eating (to prevent vomiting or dumping). Weight loss surgery sounds like a tool that would be very helpful to me while trying to attain a “normal” life.